As many as half a dozen persons, mostly from Jharkhand, were feared trapped inside an abandoned coal mine in West Burdwan’s Kulti on Sunday when a part of the mine caved in.
Local residents alleged that the coal mafia had engaged them to pilfer coal from the closed-down Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) mine, stating that smuggling of the fossil fuel had resumed ahead of the panchayat polls.
Police on Sunday said they had inspected the site after getting information of subsidence but no casualty had been officially reported.
“One local road developed cracks following the incident. We are probing what actually happened. No report of casualties has been received yet,” said Abhishek Modi, deputy commissioner of police (west).
Asked if anyone was trapped inside the mine, the DCP said no complaints of missing persons from nearby villages had been received yet. “As of now, we haven’t received any missing persons information from nearby villages. I cannot say exactly how many people are trapped or not trapped inside the mine but the matter is being investigated,” he said.
Sources said around 25 labourers allegedly hired by the coal mafia from nearby Jharkhand were stealing coal accumulated at the abandoned mine in Damagoria village in Kulti when a large chunk of the coal block fell on them around 7.30am and a mud road nearby developed cracks.
“We suddenly felt a tremor and heard a crackling sound. We rushed and saw the nearby mud road had developed cracks and a part of the abandoned mine had caved in. Many people were seen running out of the mine and shouting for help,” said an eyewitness. “We don’t know if all came out. Some may well be inside the mine.”
He alleged that several persons from nearby Jharkhand came to this mine to extract coal regularly.
Many villagers told the police and the CISF and BCCL authorities on Sunday that “rampant coal pilferage” had left the surface unstable and posed a threat to people.
They alleged that illegal coal lifting was on in various closed mines in Kulti, Barabani, Salanpur and Jamuria, leading to such subsidence.
Sunday’s incident fuelled a heated political row between BJP and Trinamul leaders of the area.
Local BJP leader Lalon Mehra alleged: “Smuggling of coal has resumed here with the blessings of local Trinamul leaders and police. I have been complaining to police against illegal coal pilfering but no action has been taken.”
“Coal is the property and concern of the Centre. Its own CISF personnel guard the mines. What are they doing if such illegal business is going on?” local Trinamul leader Biman Dutta shot back.
Many sources said that the CBI’s probe into the alleged multi-crore coal smuggling case in Bengal since 2020 might have caused a lull in such illegal activities for a while. However, coal smuggling was a “parallel economy” in the area and many residents were involved in it for livelihood, the sources added.
“This illegal business can’t run unhindered without the support of the ruling party. In return, the party also uses the money and muscle power of the coal mafia as election machinery to rig the polls,” alleged a retired police officer who served in the coal belt.
